Completed Time to Find a Job! [Sunny]

[Ruzekiel Soren]

12 Fall A.V.

Zeke had had enough of living in a sheep pen! It was time to find a job. “Gretchen, Silas,” he told the two fluffy animals next to him, “It’s time for me to leave this place. To search for fame, and fortune! And maybe a real home! It’s nothing against you guys, really, but I must go.” He patted Gretchen’s fuzzy head and stood up, brushing hay from his dusty coat. “Though maybe I should take a swim in the river first.” He decided that swimming in that river, however, would not be advisable. Of course, everyone else was doing it, but the laced-up women in the upper apartments were also dumping their chamber pots there, being unable to see past their heaving, propped up bosoms. Funny thing that.

That evening, he strapped his lute across his back, soaped and shaved his face, and leapt over the side of the fence, quiet as possible to not alert Farmer Jeb. The only reason the sheep let him live in their pen was that he brought them food. Otherwise he’d be sleeping in a gutter right now, and not on a questionably smelly pile of hay. Yes, yes, the current living space had to go. Zeke was reasonably educated, it shouldn’t be too hard to find a job somewhere.

So he set off into the deeper city to look for work. It was harder than he’d thought. No place had any need of entertainers (his jokes fell flat), or cooks (he’d burned the fudge. Again), or acrobats (he’d dropped a porcelain plate on the bearded lady), or even accountants (he couldn’t count). It was a conundrum for sure. By the time he got to a dimly lit, cozy little inn in the northeast part of the city it was 10:30 at night, and the only thing most men would be looking for by now was a house of ill-repute. But he decided to give the inn a try. It was a quaint, homely looking place, perhaps family-owned, and the creaky wooden sign on the door said "The Wolf's Den". An odd name for an inn, but beggars couldn't be choosers. Etienne, however, seemed to be choosing "No". The paint's nostrils were flared and he stamped the ground nervously, skittering to one side after the other. Zeke stroked the horse's mane and crooned to him in a low voice until he had calmed down some, or just gotten used to the present but not overwhelming smell of wet dog that was hanging around the general vicinity. After making sure that he was calm, Zeke loosely tied Etienne to a nearby post and placated the fussy paint with an apple before he stepped up to the door and knocked thrice, pulling some excess hay from his wild hair as he did so.

[Sunny]

Sunny was loitering. It was late-ish, and she was done with the jobs that were primarily her duty. These consisted of the laundry, and the dishes, and as all of the rooms of the Wolf's Cave were occupied, and the supper had long since been served, she had no dirty sheets and no dirty dishes to tackle, which was fine by her. There were a few patrons still lingering in the common room, and Korin was by the fire, poking it up to one last warming flare before he would start trying to shoo those who were still here either into the branching network of individual rooms giving off the main common room, or out the door to their homes. It was the time of evening that the tavern goers were nursing their last cup of ale, and thus the profit margin was slimming by the minute. Sunny sat by the firepit, on the far side of Korin, staring into the flames, feeling dull and restless. The fire made her think of the camp in the mountains, Nello’s little cabin. It was hardly big enough to turn around in. But it had been snug and wonderful for her. She missed it. She missed him. Hugging her knees to her chest, she warmed her bare feet and dreamed of running pell mell through the snow. The knock that came at the front door roused her and she turned to look over her shoulder, and then back to Korin, questioningly. He nodded, and she rose and loped to the door. It was probably just a townsperson, someone boring and with no interest in her. But, she was always hopeful.

Pulling the door open, she looked out into the darkness of the night and on the front steps of the inn was an odd looking young man indeed. He looked to be about her age, and was certainly no taller than she was. His clothes were rumpled and seemed to have been pulled out of a midden heap at random. But the most intriguing thing about him was the smell. Sunny wrinkled her nose and snuffed, just as she had been told a thousand times not to do, by her mother. But yes, the odor was distinct, and it made her mouth water. Sheep! And almost as strong, horse, though Sunny wasn’t prone to eating those. She tilted her head to the side and regarded him with an avid look of curiosity, taking in his overall unkempt appearance and the musical instrument on his back.

Korin called out in a growly voice, “Well, girl? Don’t stand there like a bump on a log. Let the man in for heavens sake!”

Sunny smiled and bounced on her toes. “Oh, yes, sorry! Come in, please.” She stepped back from the doorway to grant admittance to the quaint little tavern.

Gesturing with her hand, she said, “Please, have a seat. Supper is done, but I’m sure someone could heat up some left overs, if you’re here for food. But then I’ll have more dishes to do. And I’m entirely sick of dishes. But, that’s my job. So, really, it’s no problem. Or maybe you just want a drink? Ale? Beer? Or a room?”

She kept her attention entirely focused on him, watching his every move, with a happy look on her face. At least he smelled really interesting.

[Ruzekiel Soren]

His breath caught as the door squeaked open to reveal a lovely young woman with an excited smile, long flowing hair and pleasantly sparkly dark eyes. The light from the inside of the inn shone from the door and spilled into the dark street, illuminating her silky locks and casting a buttery halo around her. Zeke was speechless for what felt like a good minute. And then the girl...sniffed. Loudly. It was a bit humiliating to say the least. Zeke knew that he smelt like a sheep's underside, and carried Etienne's stink as well. It was probably wafting off him like a gourmet stew. Only made with dirty sheep fells...However, the river smelled worse and besides, he wasn't here to impress anyone, he was here to make a living. Still his voice came out in a breathy squeak. "Uh...hi." The girl's confused, welcoming smile was like a warm hearth. Then Zeke realized that she was talking to him and gesturing him to come inside. He did so after stamping the dirt off his boots and dusting off his grimy shirt, which still smelled like sweat and horse even after a few hasty nighttime washings in farmer Jeb's basin.

"...entirely sick of dishes. But, that’s my job. So, really, it’s no problem. Or maybe you just want a drink? Ale? Beer? Or a room?”

Zeke shook his head and shuffled his feet awkwardly. He really was no good with people. "Actually, milady," he replied, "I'm here to ask if you have any job openings available." He could play lute, that was for sure. But could he do dishes? Ah, what the hell, it couldn't be that hard. "I could do dishes, if you like? I play lute and I'm....er...learning to cook, as well." He really needed this job! Well, that's what you get for skipping out on a real education, painting and playing lute all day, he thought to himself, self-consciously combing a hand through his hair. A tiny shower of dirt fell from it and dusted his coat. He hastily shook it off and tried to flash a winning smile. This was gonna be rough.

[Sunny]

Sunny’s smile fell away, to be replaced by a dubious frown. “A job? Well…” She looked over her shoulder but Korin had moved off behind the bar. It was as if she was encountering an unknown and needed some guidance from someone who would know better. Her head swiveled back to the newcomer and she crunched up her face, clearly thinking hard.

“I do the dishes. And the laundry. Mountains of it. But not the fun kind of mountains, not real ones. Just big, huge piles.” Her eyes went upwards, as if the dirty linens mounted to the smoke blackened ceiling above. “We have a cook, and Korin sees to the customers. So…” The girl placed one elbow in the opposite hand, and rested her chin in the remaining hand. Surveying this young man with a puzzled look, she shook her head dolefully. “That’s just the trouble, you see.” Her look said that truly, he ought to see things, crystal clear. “We already have enough servants.” She unfolded her arms and gave a dramatic shrug. “I was lucky to get one here myself.” She sniffed audibly again, but her face registered her disappointment. “You aren’t a hunter. That’s a pity. I’m a good hunter. Well, really I was learning to be. I’ve brought down deer, and some sheep. Mountain sheep, not your kind of sheep.”

Her hands were twisting together with her wistful reminiscing about better times gone by. “I don’t suppose you like to hunt?” The way she posed the question, and was already shaking her head in the negative, it was apparent she expected him to confirm that he was not. Her large, dark eyes went to the instrument on his back.

“I don’t think I’ve seen one of those before. Nello played a little flute. The music was pretty. Sometimes I sang. He taught me the words.” Without preamble, Sunny launched into a little ditty, her sweet voice bringing a new twist to the extremely ribald lyrics. Even the other patrons twisted about in their seats to stare at the girl, letting loose such colorful vocabulary in such dulcet tones. There was a sort of crooning quality to her voice that was somewhat like that of a hound, though much more pleasing on the ears. After a verse or two, she paused.

“Do you know that one?” she was asking, as the Korin appeared from the back of the common room.

“Sunny!” he chided, in a loud, irritated voice. “I’ve told you, no singing! Those songs aren’t meant to be sung by a proper young lady.” Drawing close to the ragamuffin young man, he looked him up and down, asking, “You need a room for the night? Sorry, we’re full up.” He looked the dirt and dust bespeckled guest up and down, and then pointedly looked at the door. “And it’s really too late for food. So…”

Sunny, who had looked abashed at the reprimand, brightened a bit and put her hand through the crook of the young man's arm. "Oh, he doesn't want a room. He wants to help me wash dishes." She gave him a sidelong glance and then smirked, as if she had just thought of something very clever. "And the laundry."

She put her free hand over her mouth and chortled, apparently finding her own brand of humor exceedingly funny.

[Ruzekiel Soren]

"Oh, I uh..." This put Zeke in a compromising position. To say he didn't hunt would be an understatement. It was difficult for him to even skin a rabbit, what with the shiny, hurt eyes staring up at him and the fuzzy adorable fur and the twitchy ears...He shook his head sadly. "No, milady, but I have quite a few pets. Three bunnies, a lemur, a cricket, a parrot named Tiko, my cat of course..." Something she said made him pause. "Wait, how do you know about Gretchen and Silas?" he asked curiously. He wondered if the sniffing had anything to do with it. She was looking at his lute and he grinned nervously, "Oh yeah, this here's my baby," he said with a chuckle, shifting the lute a bit higher on his back and twisting a bit so she could see. When she started to talk about this "Nello" her eyes went all glassy, like she was far away, and from her lips came the sweetest song. Well, save the lyrics, which were bawdily hilarious, it was a beautiful ditty. Zeke couldn't help but chortle at the sauciness of it, and coming from such a nice, polite-looking girl it was even more amusing. He thought he'd heard of it before, a long time ago, but couldn't quite place it. The tune seemed easy enough though. "I'm sure I could find out the chords to it in time, milady," he mused.

But the girl was moving so fast he barely had time to collect himself and deal with the rejection before a big, gruff man was assessing him from behind the crackling fire pit and sending some choice disapproving words his way. Zeke's shoulders slumped and he was about to bow out of this horrible idea of his when the girl's arm looped gently around his own and she told the scary-looking man of his purpose here. She sent him a smirk and mentioned laundry. Laundry? I dunno how to do laundry! What is this?! he thought frantically. But the girl's lovely giggle somehow put him at ease. He gazed into her dark eyes, sparkling with humor, and thought to himself, Sure! How hard could it be?

[Sunny]

Korin, Sunny’s boss, as it were, looked nonplussed, and stared at the young, dark haired man with an odd expression. He seemed to consider the request, and Sunny's comment, and finally replied, "You'll have to speak to Micah about that. Tomorrow. If you want a room for the night, we're full up. But you can sleep in the kitchen, if you like.”

Sunny, for her part, was hugging the young man’s arm happily. She hoped Micah would hire him, and then she would have someone to help, and maybe someone to play with. What could be better?

“You have so many animals!” she exclaimed, though her brow furrowed. “I’ve eaten rabbits, they’re lovely. And I’ve chased cats. But I don’t know what a lemur is. Are they good to eat?

[Ruzekiel Soren]

Zeke chortled at the strange girl who chased cats. He wasn’t too perturbed by the rabbit eating, although he supposed he should be. Earlier that month he’d had to eat Ted to survive. They were rather silly creatures anyway. But that tall, scary man creeped him out. His yellow eyes raked in the traveller’s rumpled, serfish appearance, chewed it up and spat it back out. Zeke knew that one mistake would send him back into the streets. But now for the important things--she was hugging his arm like an eager puppy with its tail a-wag. Her silky hair brushed across his shoulder, a sweet-smelling waterfall. He sighed.
“...You can sleep in the kitchen, if you like."
“What? Oh, yes, absolutely milord, thank you milord.” He jumped to attention and bowed his head a bit, like offering one’s fealty to an alpha. He tended to make animal comparisons, given that he barely spent time with humans. When he thought the danger had passed he had to turn back to the girl with a wide grin.

“You don’t want to eat a lemur, love. It’s a type of monkey, see. They’re too fun to play with. You can even teach them how to dance.” Tomas was still a bit wobbly on his primate footsies, but the lemur was certainly improving since Zeke had acquired him at a market back home in Avanthal. Not his climate, the poor thing. Maybe someday Zeke could show this girl the animals. Except the rabbits and the cat of course.

“Oh, I just realized, I didn’t get your name, milady, milord.” He turned from the young woman beside him and held out his free hand to the inkeeper with another properly respectful nod. “I am Ruzekiel Soren, and I would be honored to help you do the dishes...and the laundry,” he added after a beat, sneaking a smirk at the young lady hanging onto his arm.

[Sunny]

Korin deigned to take the proffered hand and gave it a brief shake. “Name’s Korin. Korin Netven,” he grumbled, before giving a nod of his head, unimpressed with the ‘honor’ Zeke was doing him. “You can sleep back there, in the kitchen. Sunny’ll grab you a blanket. She has the settle. You can have the floor.”

As Korin turned and went agin to the back of the large room, Sunny smiled brightly at the young man, still attached to his arm. “That’s right. I’m Sunny. And you are…Ruzikielsoren.” She ran it all together and rolled it around in her mouth with a concentrated look. “That’s a long one.” She began to pull him towards the open doorway that led to the kitchen behind the bar, and said, “Come on. If you’re hungry, there is food we can fix up. Or you can sleep. Or maybe you need to see to your horse? He can stay in the stable, for now. It’s on down the way, part of the caves.”

She was literally tugging him along, almost hopping up and down. He wasn’t a hunter. But at least he had a horse, she had smelled that on him. And that was a plus, wasn’t it?

[Ruzekiel Soren]

Zeke watched the fierce-looking man trudge back to his seat by the fire with a curious, loping gait. He had no time to ponder this though. The girl repeated his name, mushing together all the syllables into one word, with a look of intense concentration that nearly made him laugh out loud, and then he was pulled along by the arm into a back kitchen area where Korin said he would be sleeping that night. It looked cozier than a patch of dirt under a tree, that was for sure.

“...Or maybe you need to see to your horse? He can stay in the stable for now.” As the pitter-patter of raindrops on the roof started up, Zeke suddenly realized--he’d forgotten about Etienne! He sprinted outside as it began to rain in earnest, dragging Sunny with him. Etienne was still loosely tethered to the wooden pole and was currently gnawing at the rope. He whinnied. Zeke bounded towards the paint and began to untie the knot, looking up at the seemingly clear sky that somehow was showering them in chilly autumn water and clucking to himself as he stroked the horse’s mane.

After Etienne was free of the pole Zeke took him gently by the halter and led him into the little stable at the back of the inn. The pony happily began to munch on a sheaf of hay and Zeke secured the latch on the thick wooden door before making his way back outside to Sunny. The torrent of rain sent muddy water dripping down his face and hair, leaving him much cleaner than before, but still sodden and ragged as an overused dishtowel.
“I was going to ask you if you had a cistern nearby, but this’ll do,” he said with a cheeky grin. He tilted his face up to the sky, reveling in the somewhat clean feeling that he’d missed in three months of traveling like a runaway serf.

OOCaHA! Rainy plot twist!

[Sunny]

Sunny had already smelled the scent of rain, so she wasn’t at all surprised to feel the chilly wet drops splashing on her warm skin as Zeke led her outside. Just as she had been tugging on him, now he had pulled her along after him, and she made no more resistance than any dog on a lead would, when attached to its master. The kelvic had such a yearning for a master that she was tractable in the extreme, and rarely protested against whatever was asked of her. This isn’t to say that she was always obedient, for like any creature, she did have a mind of her own and she often would forget how to act or get too excited to behave in the way expected of her. But with Zeke’s hand slipping down into hers, she was more than content to go where he took her, even out into the dark, cold downfall.

The horse was tied up right outside the inn, and Sunny stroked his soft nose as Zeke fiddled with the rope. Through that unspoken language of scent and touch, she took in what the horse had to communicate to her, which was basically that it didn’t find her alarming but that it was restless, probably from boredom and hunger. It wasn’t too happy about getting wet, either. Sunny crooned to him in a low voice, assuring him in the common tongue that shelter and food were on its way. She followed horse and man to the stable beyond the inn and waited in the light rain while Zeke secured his mount in a stall. When the Vantha reappeared, the rain had picked up and as he came back to her, he was getting steadily more drenched, as was she. Sunny didn’t mind the rain, really, though her preference would have been to get inside. However, when she saw the streaks of clean appearing on his face, and the muddy colored drops of water falling from his chin, she noticed just exactly how grimy the traveler was, and she thought with dismay of the very clean kitchen, and the equally clean blankets and pillows, inside the inn.

“Oh! You’re filthy!” she exclaimed, but with absolutely no repugnance. It was more of a matter of fact statement, that prefaced the obvious corollary. “You need to bathe. I don’t think this rain is really going to get all that dirt off of you.” Sunny reached out her hand and ran two investigatory fingers down his cheek, pulling them away and inspecting the results as if she was giving him the white glove test. And Zeke definitely didn’t pass.

“And your clothes need washing too,” she added, taking his hand and once again pulling him, this time towards the rear entrance of the inn. “Come on. You can use one of the wash tubs. It won’t take long to fix it up for you. There’s always simmering water kept on the fire. And you can give me your clothes and I’ll wash them for you and they’ll be dry by morning, if we set them in front of the fireplace.”

They had reached the door and before she opened it, she turned to him and added, “Unless you just want to dry out with them on. But I think you’ll get really chilly like that. Because now that you’re all wet, you’d have to sleep in the stable with your horse. The cook would have a fit if you came into her kitchen and made a muddy mess of her clean floors.”